Sean Bowen (photographed) is on the verge of marking a major milestone at Ffos Las – and he could achieve it at one of the track’s flagship meetings. Bowen has ridden 99 winners at what is essentially his home course. And he could bring up three figures on Sunday when Ffos Las stages its Family Fun Day.
Wales’ champion jockey is already guaranteed to retain his crown in the coming weeks but registering a century at Ffos Las would still be a special moment in the Pembrokeshire-born rider’s career. Should he achieve it at one of the course’s special meetings –one which could attract a bumper crowd – it would be all the sweeter.
Family Fun Day promises a wide range of entertainment as Ffos Las looks to put on a special show.
There will be a wide range of activities, including a special appearance by the K-Pop
Superstars who will be singing and doing a meet-and-greet with racegoers. There will also be fairground rides, go-karts and an artist who specialises in caricature portraits, while Scarlets players will also be in attendance.
That will be alongside a quality seven-race card. The meeting will raise funds for Riding for the Disabled.
Meanwhile, Bowen warmed up for one of the biggest weeks in the calendar – one that reaches a crescendo on Saturday with the Grand National at Aintree – by making the long trip north to Carlisle on Easter Saturday and ensuring the trek was worthwhile by registering a double. Both were on warm favourites, with Moyganny Phil followed into the winner’s enclosure shortly after by Kado Sacree.
Bowen will have a number of fancied rides over the three days at Aintree. And he has a solid chance of becoming the first Welsh jockey to win the National since Carl Llewellyn in 1998 when he partners Haiti Couleurs in the big race.
Haiti Couleurs, who is trained in Pembrokeshire by Rebecca Curtis, is seeking his third National within the space of 12 months. He took the Irish version last April and doubled up by dominating from the front to take the Coral-sponsored Welsh National at Chepstow over Christmas. He was fancied for the Cheltenham Gold Cup last month, but having led the field for most of the way, he faded from the turn for home and was pulled up.
Should he bounce back to form and triumph at Aintree, he would become the first Welsh-trained winner of the National since Kirkland in 1905.
Ben Jones will also be heading to Merseyside in good nick. He added another big prize to his haul this season on Sunday when he partnered Indemnity to a wide-margin win in the £80,000 Sussex Champion Hurdle at Plumpton.
And David Probert has picked up largely where he left off before his winter in Hong Kong. The Bargoed-born jockey is back in Britain and was in fine form at Lingfield on their Good Friday card. He rode two winners in valuable contests, with Cool Molly and Londoner his two successful mounts. He was also successful aboard Wait Geordie at Bath on Sunday.
